As a hinge mechanism that turns a panel unit having a monitor to hold the panel unit at an arbitrary angle with respect to a main body unit, there is provided a tilt hinge described in Patent Document 1, for example. The tilt hinge is composed of: a mounting member having a bearing plate portion; a rotary shaft rotatably journaled in a bearing hole provided in the bearing plate portion; a first friction plate and a first friction washer interposed between one side surface of the bearing plate portion and a large diameter portion of the rotary shaft, and provided with inserted thereinto by the rotary shaft; a second friction plate and a second friction washer contacting the other side surface of the bearing plate portion and provided with inserted thereinto by the rotary shaft; a fixed washer contacting the second friction washer to rotate in synchronization with the rotary shaft; a spring washer contacting the fixed washer and provided with inserted thereinto by the rotary shaft; a pushing washer contacting the spring washer and provided with inserted thereinto by the rotary shaft; and a caulked portion formed by caulking an end portion of the rotary shaft projecting from the pushing washer, whereby it is configured such that the mounting member and the rotary shaft relatively rotate only when specific rotational torque is applied thereto.
Therefore, a friction plate and a friction washer in a disk shape are held, while the rotary shaft is inserted thereinto, between one side of the mounting member and the large diameter portion of the rotary shaft, and between the other side of the mounting member and the pushing washer to bring the friction plate and the friction washer into press contact with each other, whereby it is configured such that friction torque (a friction force) in the thrust direction (axial direction) is generated between the friction plate and the friction washer when the rotary shaft is rotated. The action of the friction torque in the thrust direction allows the rotary shaft to be held at an arbitrary position with respect to the mounting member when the rotary shaft is rotated.
Thus, in the tilt hinge according to Patent Document 1, constant torque is provided at any rotational angle, and torque may not be increased or decreased in accordance with the angle.
For a hinge mechanism for use in an in-vehicle panel apparatus, a large holding force is required at a storing position such that a panel unit having a monitor is not opened from the storing position on the side of a main body unit even when vibration occurs, and a click feeling is desired to see the panel unit at the storing position.
Accordingly, a turning mounting mechanism described in Patent Document 1, for example, is composed of: a base member provided with an insertion hole; a turning shaft rotatably pivoted about the axial center; a click plate fixed to the rotary shaft and provided with a recessed portion for a click function formed in a surface facing one surface of the base member; and a click spring fixed to the base member to be brought into press contact with the click plate and provided with a projecting portion for a click function to be fitted into the recessed portion of the click plate, whereby it is configured such that the projecting portion of the click spring is fitted into and moved out of the recessed portion of the click plate to thus generate a click action.
Therefore, the elastic force of the click spring acts as an urging force that brings the members into press contact with each other, and the friction force generated by the urging force acts to hold the panel unit in a stop state at an arbitrary angle. In addition, when the projecting portion of the click spring is fitted in the recessed portion of the click plate, the panel unit can be held to prevent the opening from the storing position. Further, a click feeling can be felt when the projecting portion of the click spring is fitted into and moved out of the recessed portion of the click plate to suitably inform a viewer of the storing position of the panel unit.